What It Takes Part 2

Long distance communication.

Perhaps I was just overthinking it.

The lobby kept being expanded. Master probably wanted party leaders to be able to communicate more efficiently from all parts of the forged land.

"How far is the range of communication?"

I asked the fairy.

[When the communication blessing was first unlocked, the range only extended as far as 1 kilochoro (1 km). Using the research points that you gathered so far, Master had levelled up that blessing several times that you could communicate as far as 10 kilochoro (10 km)! Isn't that amazing?!]

"T-ten kilochoro?!"

I repeated unbelievingly.

[Yeah! Let me tell you, it wasn't cheap to upgrade both that blessing and the Hero Reaction Research. Master almost spent all of the research points you gathered. By the way, your research time has gone back to one hour now.]

Damn it!

The entire lobby could not even make half a kilochoro with the first and the second floor combined!

Why would we need to communicate with each other as far as that?!

[Mind though, the communication blessing is still limited to party leaders only. But keep researching and you'll soon be able to communicate among party members! And once the level is high enough, you won't even have to worry about the range limitation!]

The fairy continued ecstatically.

She reminded me of those hawkers who stood in front of shops and stalls in the markets.

"So how do I exactly use this communication blessing?"

I asked her with a surrendering sigh.

I had considered this possibility. But I did not think it would happen this soon.

Better to accept the bitter reality than keep dwelling in alluring denial, if I wanted to survive. I wanted to survive.

[It's not necessary to do it this way. But for now try touching the back of your ear, think of the person you wanted to talk to, and just speak. Remember, party leaders only! And you can't contact someone currently in the trial if you're in the lobby and vice versa. That's all now!]

The fairy said before vanishing.

Right at that moment, the rift of space time glowed up and Party 2 walked out from there with their armors and weapons drenched in dark blood.

Zecht and Norn looked composed and undisturbed as always. But the three behind them looked as if they were ready to hit their mattresses.

Perfect timing.

I placed my fingers to where the fairy suggested and stared at Zecht dozens of steps beyond me.

"We need to talk."

I said in a whispering tone.

Suddenly Zecht jerked his head toward me. There was no way he could hear my voice or read my lips from that far.

[Serafina? What's this? Why am I hearing your voice in my head?]

I vaguely saw Zecht mouthed those words from afar as I heard his voice echoing in my mind.

The sensation was similar to telepathy, or so I read, but I did not detect any trace of magic. Just like how the bluish-white light transported us to the trial.

"It's a new blessing master gave us. We need to talk about this. It's important. Tell your teammates to clean up and gather in the dining hall right now. I'll gather mine and Party 3."

The urgency in my voice made Zecht scrambling to call his comrades that were about to climb to the second floor.

As they were returning to the lodging, I touched the back of my ear again and pictured in my mind a giant man with hair similar to a lion's mane.

"Jyrgil, can you hear me?"

[Huh?! Who's this?! Why are you inside my head?!]

I expected he would be surprised after seeing how Zecht reacted earlier.

"Calm down. It's me, Serafina. I'm talking to you through a new blessing master gave us."

[Haa… This place is getting weirder by the day.]

"And it will turn even weirder soon. You're on the second floor, right? Tell your party to come to the lodging right now. Tell those in Party 1 to come as well.]

[Why? We're still training. I'm having a lot of fun kicking their asses!]

"Just do as I say, Jyrgil. If it's not important, I would not have bothered you."

I did not hear him object anymore aside from an upset grunt.

Soon I heard Jyrgil shouting on the second floor, telling everyone to go down.

It was then that the light on the synthesis chamber dimmed. Trudy came out from there seconds later.

Her face was darkened and empty was her gaze.

There was no doubt she saw something disturbing during her promotion.

I would ask her what she saw inside, but we had another matter to address at the moment.

"Trudy, come with me to the lodging. We're having a meeting."

"Y-yes, Serafina!"

She nodded inattentively. Her mind was still preoccupied with her promotion.

The two of us then returned to the lodging and made our way to the dining hall.

We were the first to arrive.

A while later, my comrades and those in Party 3 started to walk in.

Once they all took their place around the room, Party 2 began pouring in with clean clothes on themselves.

I waited till Pauline and the other kitchen staffs done pouring tea and setting light snacks on the table before I started our meeting.

It was clear why I called all of the parties here.

The communication blessing.

There were implied things of the blessing's function that could not be ignored. Must not be ignored.

I told everyone of the three parties of what the fairy told me of the blessing.

From how it was part of the Hero Reaction Research, how it allowed party leaders to communicate, the range limitation imposed on the blessing, and how master had disabled the limitation to some extent.

Frowns began to form around the room as I carried on with my explanation.

Once I finished, I let the others sounded their opinion.

"Why would master give party leaders the ability to communicate with one another?"

Zecht asked.

"The lobby is getting bigger. Wouldn't it be troublesome if all of you had to go up and down the stairs to send a message to each other?"

Maddock of Party 2 replied.

"Even then, why would the communication range go all the way to ten kilochoro? The lobby is not that big."

Ashta of party 3 questioned.

"That's right. Ten kilochoro would be at least twenty times the length of the first floor to the second floor."

Darius stated.

"But didn't Serafina say that the blessing's range was not always that long? There has to be a reason why master intentionally increased the blessing's level so party leaders could communicate within that great of a range."

Norn added.

"So why would master do that? Where in this forged land could we get so much apart for the blessing to be that useful?"

Jyrgil asked.

That question of his made me decide to step into the discussion.

"I know one place that stretch as much as ten kilochoro. At least."

I turned to the rift of space and time.

"The Surga Pass, where the sixth to the ninth floor took place."